race and colorism as cultural constructions “what was made by history can be unmade by history;...
TRANSCRIPT
Race and Colorism as Cultural Constructions
“What was made by history can be unmade by history; what is affirmed by
language can also be negated by language.”—p. 233
Racial Categories in the US
Race in Latin America:Legacy of Colonialism
• Ruler/ruled• Spanish conquered Meso-American civilizations in 16th
century; brought disease which devastated indigenous populations
• 1 million indigenous people died in 50 years after conquest• “Encomiendas”: indigenous communities enslaved to work
on large plantations and in the mines and had no political or legal rights
• Indigenous communities baptized into Christianity• Intermarriage over hundreds of years
“Las castas”: 16 racial classifications or castes in 18th century Spanish America
Color categories in Nicaragua
• Note: not based on descent or kinship
People can change color when they migrate or change context
• p. 231
Impact of “color” on distribution of resources
Were racial categories disrupted by the Sandinista Revolution?